The Millennium Ancient City
The Millennium Ancient City was exactly as it had been in the past. Exactly as it looked before the Holy Church and I launched our assault... Seeing the grand, imposing castle that we had once burned to ashes standing perfectly intact made my stomach twist in a strange way.
"Hah, do we really have to follow this path all the way to the castle?"
"We'll need to watch out for traps and ambushes."
"There might be outposts or gates along the way, too."
Before entering the Gate, the S-class hunters had been quite relaxed, but now their expressions turned dead serious. We were inside the Gate now. Is this how they really are? Their aura had completely shifted, finally making them feel like the elite powerhouses they were.
"There's no absolute need to follow the path," I noted. "But straying from it might prove to be a massive pain."
There would be traps on the road, of course, but there were also traps off-road. In fact, the off-road areas were far more heavily trapped. It was a classic case of reverse psychology. The defenders assumed any attacking force would expect the main road to be heavily fortified and thus try to flank them. To exploit that, they had packed the side paths and shortcuts with a ridiculous number of traps.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean they've used reverse psychology on us."
"Ah. Since the frontal defenses look so formidable, they figured we'd hesitate to launch a direct assault and try to bypass them, so they laid traps on the alternate routes instead? Is that it?"
"That is my theory, yes."
Everyone fell into a brief silence, pondering the thought. But the conclusion they reached was surprisingly simple.
"In the end, if we want to clear this Gate quickly, charging straight down the main road is the fastest way, isn't it?"
To clear it quickly. That was their sole reason. Yet, it was an incredibly crucial one.
"The news that all of South Korea's S-class hunters have entered a Gate has already gone public. The North might try to pull something foolish while we're gone."
North Korea... Yes, that was definitely a concern. Hunters weren't just a force used to close Gates; they were a core component of national defense. To deter or stop the hunters of a hostile nation, you needed hunters of equal caliber.
"Therefore, we cannot afford to be away for long."
And so, because they needed to clear the Gate as fast as possible, the consensus quickly shifted toward a direct frontal assault rather than taking a roundabout route. This was exactly what I had hoped for. In this place, a frontal breakthrough was actually the easiest path.
"Well then, let me buff you all before we set off."
I cast a physical enhancement buff on everyone, including the S-class hunters and the Daehyeon Guild members bringing up the rear. Next, I cast a magic amplification buff specifically on the three mages, and finally...
"This one hardens your skin. I do not know the exact mechanism by which vampires turn others into their own kind, but it is best to be prepared."
"Heh, you can stack this many different buffs at once?"
"I could give you even more, but doing so would only disorient your senses, so I am holding back."
The other S-class hunters all wore expressions of sheer astonishment. Yes, seeing their reactions to my abilities was incredibly satisfying.
"Let us move, then."
The raid party advanced cautiously. The first enemies to appear were twenty subspecies. Let's see what these S-class hunters are made of. I was particularly curious about the S-class Rank 2 archer.
"I'll take the opening shot," he said.
The moment the monsters came into view, he drew his bowstring. I wondered what he was doing since there was no arrow notched, but in the blink of an eye, pure mana coalesced into a glowing arrow. Once released, the arrow split mid-air. It literally multiplied, raining down on the enemies as dozens of lethal projectiles.
"Oh..."
It was a secret technique that even Eina, my former companion from the Hero's party, could barely pull off... yet he was firing them in rapid succession, not just as a single shot.
Hmm...
Looking closely, it seemed he was combining two distinct skills: one to generate the mana arrow, and another to split it. By utilizing both skills in tandem, he minimized mana consumption while exponentially increasing his crowd-control capabilities. Yes, with a power like that, he absolutely deserved his S-class rank.
The only drawback was that it was difficult to distinguish friend from foe once the melee began, meaning he couldn't spam it after the initial bombardment. Still, being able to create arrows out of pure mana solved the greatest weakness of any archer—running out of ammunition—allowing him to unleash his full potential without restraint.
Under the relentless barrage of mana arrows, half of the subspecies collapsed. Well, when hundreds of arrows, not just dozens, were raining down on them, evasion was practically impossible.
The remaining monsters didn't retreat; instead, they lunged forward. However, they were instantly blocked by our sole tanker, Iron Wall Park Young-shik. Ah, that's the same Taunt skill Ah-young has. On top of that, a field of mana formed around his shield, suggesting he had a way to artificially expand its defensive area.
The subspecies attacked the tanker as if possessed, and the other hunters didn't miss the opening. Tuwang and the Sword Saint immediately lunged from both flanks to strike. Tuwang's massive axe came crashing down, turning a subspecies into a bloody pulp, while the Sword Saint's blade swept through the air in a fluid, elegant arc, cleanly severing another.
Normally, the resilient bodies of the subspecies should have made them difficult to cut down...
"As expected of S-class hunters," one of the Daehyeon hunters behind us murmured, looking deeply impressed by how effortlessly the monsters were being dispatched. It was a fresh reminder of just how absurdly powerful S-class hunters were. To think there were six more individuals of the Sword Saint's caliber here.
Of course, the tanker wasn't particularly strong in terms of offensive power, but I realized that even Taunt skills had tiers. The range was incredibly wide and the effect was so potent that the monsters were drawn to him as if completely hypnotized.
The battle was entirely one-sided. While the S-class hunters were naturally powerful, the fact that they made highly efficient use of my buffs played a massive role. As expected of seasoned veterans, they knew exactly how to maximize the support they were given.
We encountered traps and ambushes along the way, but we broke through them without any major issues. The Daehyeon hunters who accompanied us were especially helpful. Perhaps because they were bolstered by my buffs, they handled their duties smoothly, ensuring that even large numbers of enemies posed no threat.
After about three hours of steady progress, a massive gatehouse blocked our path.
"An outpost gate."
To reach the castle of the Millennium Ancient City, we had to pass through this gatehouse. There was a way to bypass it, but that route was riddled with traps.
"Should we go around?"
The sight of the sturdy stone walls seemed to make them hesitate.
"No, with our current strength, a direct breakthrough will be faster."
"Miss Nix, I request your buffs."
The one asking for the buff was the S-class mage, Kim Young-chol.
"I take it you plan to blow the gatehouse away with one massive strike?"
"That should clear the path."
Not a bad judgment call. I let out a soft chuckle and cast my buffs on him. The Vice Guild Leader of Daehyeon immediately began channeling his magic.
The spell he cast was...
Lightning Storm
A massive electromagnetic storm erupted over the gatehouse, raining down mercilessly. *Rumble, crash!* The thunder and lightning raged as if to tear the entire structure to pieces. The subspecies desperately cast their own spells to block it, but...
It was impossible to withstand a spell amplified by my divine buffs. By the time the lightning storm subsided, the gatehouse had been reduced to absolute tatters.
"Hahaha!"
He let out a hearty laugh, though he stumbled slightly, clearly drained of a significant amount of mana.
"Good work," I said, though I didn't bother to catch him. Even if I didn't, the Daehyeon hunters were already moving swiftly to support him...
"Well then, we'll take it from here."
Once the mage had done his part, it was time for the other hunters to shine. A rain of arrows poured into the ruined gatehouse. The subspecies trying to crawl out of the rubble were forced back into cover, and by the time the rain of arrows ceased, the vanguard hunters had already arrived.
"It's completely shredded!"
Tuwang swung his giant axe with gleeful abandon, obliterating enemies and the gatehouse alike without distinction.
"How crude," I muttered.
Crude, yes, but undeniably effective.
"Ten enemies remaining!"
Iron Wall Park Young-shik's Taunt was truly remarkable; by drawing in every enemy within range, he could accurately gauge their numbers, allowing us to sweep them all up without letting a single one slip away.
Leaving the cleanup to the Daehyeon hunters, we continued our march. Gradually, the towering castle walls drew closer.
"What kind of boss do you think we'll face here?"
"A vampire, obviously."
I was curious myself. In the Great Forest, it was obvious the World Tree would be the boss... but who would it be here? One of the True Bloods?
"By the way, we haven't seen any sign of the previous raid team."
"Didn't they say they saw them near the entrance?"
Hmm...
"Perhaps they were taken to have information extracted from them?" I suggested.
"Information?"
"Vampires have a strict hierarchy. Since they turned the hunters into their own kind, that hierarchy would apply to them as well, wouldn't it?"
Therefore, they would likely be brought before a high-ranking vampire to have their minds picked clean.
"Isn't that incredibly dangerous?"
Everyone began voicing their concerns. The thought of hunter profiles and information about Earth falling into the hands of monsters... Especially since these monsters possessed high intelligence, there was no telling what they might do with that knowledge.
"Which is exactly why we need to close this Gate," I said flatly.
That was the only real answer.
"True..."
"So instead of wasting time worrying, we should just move faster."
The moment I finished speaking, we picked up the pace. We weren't pushing ourselves to the point of recklessness, but because everyone's physical conditioning was so superb, the Daehyeon support team struggled to keep up. As for me... I mostly just handed out buffs and offered advice. Everyone was so skilled that no one even got hurt.
Had it been about ten hours? Finally, we stood before the main castle gates.
"Let's take a brief rest."
After running non-stop for ten hours, even these powerhouses were showing signs of fatigue. We began to take a light breather nearby, when...
"This is...?"
"Is something wrong?"
Everyone turned their gaze toward me.
"Yes. They are coming."
I couldn't tell the exact number, but I could feel a dense, suffocating wave of Magi. I stroked the bracelet on my left wrist, preparing myself for any worst-case scenario. This aura undoubtedly belonged to a True Blood.
Yet, the figures approaching us were not True Bloods.
"What is that?"
They wore modern hunter gear and equipment... and aside from their deathly pale skin, their faces were all too familiar. It was the first raid team.
Everyone tensed, raising their guard.
"W-we... h-have no... i-intention... of h-hostility... t-toward you."
Their stuttering, disjointed speech was bizarre. This was...
"It seems there is a monster pulling their strings from behind," I said.
A True Blood was using the hunter's body as a puppet to speak. This meant they had already extracted a significant amount of information and were now trying to act on it.
A wave of uneasy murmurs rippled through our group.
"We... w-want... p-peace."
They want peace? I let out a cold sneer. If they had truly wanted peace, they wouldn't have defected to the demons back in the other world. Opportunistic bastards. They had always been hostile to humanity, but to think they had thrown their lot in with the Demon King without a single moment of hesitation?
The Holy Power deep within me flickered with a strange, turbulent anger. Calm down... let's stay calm.
"You want peace? Then release those hunters first!" Park Young-shik, the eldest among us, stepped forward and demanded.
"I-impossible. T-they are... now... o-our kind."
Meaning they had already been turned, and there was no going back.
"Then how can we possibly trust you?"
It was a valid point. The True Blood tried to speak further through the Earthling's mouth, but...
"Just die."
Unable to stomach it any longer, I hurled a ball of Sacred Fire. The foul, sickening Magi wafting from behind them was utterly revolting. Perhaps, if this had been before they sold their souls to the demons and became the Demon King's lackeys, there might have been a sliver of a chance. But demons could never be trusted.
"Ah, wait—?!"
"What is the point of listening to more? They cannot be turned back... and surely you haven't forgotten what will happen if they escape into the outside world and start turning others?"
"Ahem..."
Realization dawned on them, and they raised their weapons.
"We are sorry for them, but..."
They had to die.
Even I, who had been content to watch from the sidelines until now, joined the fray and unleashed my Sacred Fire. Flames designed to incinerate Magi... a holy attribute specifically tailored to annihilate True Bloods and subspecies vampires alike.
The battle was entirely one-sided. The turned hunters shrieked in agonizing pain, but there was absolutely no way to save them.
"Is there really no way to save them?"
"Even the monster told you, did it not? They are already of the same kind."
I understood their grief, but leaving them alive in this state was a fate worse than death.
"Yes, I know..."
Still, clearly bothered by it, the other hunters tried to subdue them while keeping their corpses as intact as possible. As for me... I didn't care about any of that; I simply burned them to ash.
At any rate, the battle came to an end. Every single one of the turned hunters lay dead on the ground.
"Ugh..."
A heavy, somber mood hung over the group.
"It has been a long time since we've suffered casualties inside a Gate..."
Namgung Min gently closed the eyes of the deceased hunters, and several others bowed their heads in a moment of silent tribute. My sister did the same, mourning their tragic end.
"What should we do with their bodies...?"
"I propose we burn them," I stated.
Some of the hunters looked at me as if I lacked a human heart.
"Can we not at least bring their bodies back outside?"
"Perhaps you could. But unfortunately, they are monsters now, and they might very well rise again. Have you never heard the lore of vampires?"
Even if they seemed dead, they could potentially resurrect under the right conditions. The True Blood might have placed some sort of curse or trap on them. In fact, to my eyes, their souls were still bound to their physical vessels. Despite their bodies being dead, their souls were unable to depart. Some form of dark magic was undoubtedly at play. It was because I saw this that I spoke up out of caution. It would have been great if I could just explain this to them, but...
I decided it was easier to just let them think of me as a heartless bitch.
"I believe Miss Nix is correct," Namgung Min suddenly spoke up, defending me. "We have already witnessed the vampire's abilities—specifically, their power to control their thralls. There may be other hidden powers at play, and they might use them to animate the corpses even after we take them outside."
"Ah..."
The Daehyeon hunters fell silent, though they still seemed deeply sympathetic to their fallen comrades.
"I will bear the burden of this sin."
I unleashed my Sacred Fire upon the pile of corpses. Before anyone could stop me, the white flames caught, and the bodies began to crackle and burn. May your souls find salvation through this... The Sacred Fire incinerated the Magi and the dark magic binding their souls, allowing the spirits trapped within the flesh to finally break free and ascend.
Everyone bowed their heads in silence, their hearts burning with a quiet resolve for vengeance.